Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-20
AMERICAS SCULPTOR,
Translated from the Corriere d, Rona for the
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette
Shades and Shsdows-5f E1.L,~I
Cincinnati Commercial azette.

mer's night, the motto concise and su-
perb, 81 can do what l will" The life
of this artistic is not ike that of many
others, al imbroglio of little scenes more
or less romantic, between trivial cCmoats
and triumphs. for whoever looks at him
sees man drawn in grand portions, as
clear s1d vigorous ss Mcclellan gelesque
design.
Ia. Ezekiel from MS earliest youth was
destined to art, and without having
learned any thing from a master, painted
seveTSI pictures and modelled even some
| fine 5usts, among them one Of his own
father, which was remarkable for its t.
deity.
But whilst the little sculptor was in
tent upon giving form 10 clay the war Ct
the secession broke out, snd ct fifteen
years CT age he exchanged his modelling
stick for a musket and took part in the
campaign, which IVES so full of heroic
and thrilling episodes.
Afterwards the soldier youth returned
to MS ST.. and worked assiduously aud
| lovingly 6. his home II Cincinnati Until
1859, when he went 20 Germany 70 study
e. the Royal Art Academy of Berlin,
where, after six months, ne WAS admitted
to the first life class, and in S73 won the
| r oman prize (MiCnelbeer stipendium) f,
and established himself here in 1874, con-
tinuing always 20 work vigorously and
successfully.
In Rome NJ. Ezekiel is noted not only
as d sculptor among the most celebrated,
! but as 8 man, enc of the most sympa-
thetic.
1t is very natural, then, that more than
to the houses OF the arlstocracy and di-
plOmates, where the salons follow each
| other in sumptuous file, invitations are
sought for into the studio Of this GENTLE
man artist where his Roman friends ard
| the finest lowers Of American society
group together occasionally around him
and his works; some finished and oth4rs
! but begun.
Here they speak of art, inspired at
the sight of some masculine torso, which
tells OF the power of the sculptor, or of s
| delicate female head protled in plaster
which reveals world of sentiment. Hele
they laugh and talk; listen TO the soft
strain of music, and do not exclude the
Irritation with some elegant! blonde butter
! fly Of passage who mas come from tie
shores Of America.
Ezekiel's studio seems n feet to nave
been created for Transmitting q certain
arts tic sense even into the souls Of lesser
elevated natures When he was child
in distant America to this singular genius
our Rome must hsve seemed not only the
nest, the center OF antique art, bat in his
dreams one superb, glorious ruin, whose
sacred shadows still give the baptism Of
the beautiful to its most faithful adorers,
and so, from the time he came here
among US, after such dreams, it must
have seemed TO him terrible disharmonY
to live either in an old princely palace,
crooked Roman street, or a new villa in
new Rome. Thus ne chose an old ruin
and made his abode in the antique Baths
Of DioCletian.
This portion OF the baths was, in the
middle ages, used as chapel by the
Trappist monks, end for that reason is
regular in form snd has rampant where
by to ascend, and is now lOwer-laden
pathway, h2nked and covered with
woodbine and roses, and, when seen
from the Piazza di Termini, looks like 6
bright oasis in q waste Of dark ruins, pro-
teCted fro Il intrusion by q wicker gate,
which is closed to all but q few friends
when the artist is at work.
But what cordlality there is within the
gate TO an expected guest. Wat
q gracious "SanSfaCon" in every par
ticular of the reception. Ezekiel comes
to meet you on the pathway in his work
ing garb, entirely mis- own, but nei Their
studied nor theatrical; shirt-sleeves, and
a chemols- double apron girded with
q rough belt, and a fat, square, brown
velvet cap on his head. Guided by him,
you enter She sanctuary OF art.
The room is immense, bat of 9astness
that disappears in the height and beauty
OF its archeG ceiling and in the quantity
of furniture snd other appointments OF
great artistic value.
There is not loud color. The walls
are flanked with sculptured chests, all in
primitive state. Ezekiel would never
commit the proclamation of covering them
with Silken rags and useless ornaments.
But the walls are not altogether nude :;
from the center of the ceiling an old
csndelabra hangs, and here a1d there a
piece of Tapestry, q palm leaf and some
beautiful paintings by Enke, the cele-
brated Berlin painter, who is now en-
gagged upon portraits in the Emperor's
palace for the Crown Prince of Germany.
Among the other paintings by Eake
which adorn Ezekiels studio, admired
head which is singularly beautiful. You
do not see the face at all, bat from the
exquisite purity Of the neck, the supreme
elegance with which the golden hair is
raised, you feel two things certain-that
this model is g beautiful women and a
lady. Near to this picture there is az
other, fat-cheeked rosy boy Of Written
waldo, 8 violin-maker, as ell the good
Germans are in that country place. This
head is also very finely painted, snd so is
portrait done with few strokes Of the
brush, and which resembles the sculpto,
to the life.
Speaking CT painting reminds me of the
grand picture which the illustrious Bog
giani has presented to Ezekiel, and whic5
took the gold medal st the art exhibition
in Munich. It occupies part of one OF the
walls, and represents forest near Ma
rino, in the Albsn mountains, in the
e month of March. The Arst flowers O
spring are budding in the fields; the tree!
$ are half bare and gray; the coal-burner
t are at work still; snd the effect of the
3 spires Of smoke rising and rising envelop
ing like clouds the branches Of tn
trees and spreading themselves in the st
D mosphere, is surprisingly true, Bog
giani gave this work to our sculptor be
e cause he knew that no one else could ap.
49,